(HBO/The Leftovers)
As many viewers expected, Nora was asked the same baby question that the man from last week (Season 3 Episode 3) said that he was asked, right before he set himself on fire. This is apparently part of the screening process for being able to use the radiation machine (which may or may not be real.) Here are fans’ top theories about what the right answer to that question is. After you’ve read the suggestions, let us know what you think the right answer was in the comments below.
This article has spoilers through Season 3 Episode 4.
Nora was asked what she would do if twins were born and one could cure cancer, but only if the other died. Would she nod her head and allow the other to be killed in order to save many people later on? After determining that the babies were not hers in this hypothetical scenario, she said that yes, she would OK the death of one baby in order to cure cancer. After her answer, she was told to take her money and leave, because she would not be able to use the machine. She didn’t pass.
But last week, we saw that a man killed himself after saying he had been asked the same question, but he answers that he would not kill the baby to cure cancer.
So what’s the right answer? Here are the top theories.
Theory 1: Everyone Is Told They Didn’t Pass Because There Is No Machine
The first theory is that this is all a con of some sort. There is no right answer. No matter what people say, they’re told they didn’t pass. Perhaps this group just enjoys seeing people suffer. Maybe they are a cult kind of like the Guilty Remnant, and want people to feel and remember their pain. Maybe they they steal information from the applicants while they’re in the box. Or maybe they’re going to blackmail them later, and that’s how some of the applicants somehow get “enlisted” to bring on more people.
However, this theory has a flaw. The 119 people who went through the machine already have legitimately disappeared. Nora said she researched them and they are gone. So something is happening to those people, or they’d be telling others online that the whole thing is a fake.
Theory 2: Everyone Is Told They Didn’t Pass Because Their Reaction Is the Test
Another theory is that how people react to the news that they didn’t pass is the real test. This supposes that Nora will be approached again later on, depending on if her reaction is enough to pass their test. If the mom with the baby earlier in the episode was also part of the test, then this theory has a greater possibility of being true. It shows that they’re testing people’s reactions in real life, and this could easily extend to watching them after they leave and are told they failed.
Theory 3: The Right Answer Depends on the Individual
This theory supposes that the right answer depends on the individual and their situation. Perhaps, because of Nora’s background, she needed to say that she wouldn’t kill the baby, but the guy from last week needed to say that he would. Or maybe when she questioned whether the twins were hers in the scenario, that caused her to fail no matter what she said next.
Theory 4: The Answer Must Show You Don’t Care About the Current World
Another theory is that the “right” answer is one that shows the applicant no longer cares about this present world and is ready to leave. If you care about the baby or you care about curing cancer, then you may care too much about the world. In Nora’s case, she cared that the babies weren’t hers, which shows she still has attachments and thus isn’t ready.
Theory 5: The Question is a Lie Detector Test of Sorts
Here’s another idea. It’s not the answer that matters, but just that you answer truthfully. In this case, no matter how you respond, if they pick up that you’re lying, then you’re out of the running. Maybe Nora was lying when she answered. Maybe most people lie. (This seems less likely, as Nora really did seem authentic and honest with her response.)
Theory 6: Nora Was Rejected for Being Pregnant, Not Because of Her Answer
Some astute fans are guessing that the blood test taken earlier in her “interview” showed that Nora was pregnant, despite her assertion that there was no way this was possible. So it didn’t matter what her answer was. She wasn’t going to be accepted because she was pregnant. During the bathroom scene at the airport, the camera panned to show the baby changing sign. This could have alluded to her being pregnant, despite having an IUD. It’s rare but not impossible to get pregnant even with an IUD. Perhaps the leaders of this “experiment” of sorts will not OK anyone to use the machine if they’re pregnant.
This would also fit with the theme of The Leftovers. It would make sense that in this show’s world, Nora would find out she’s pregnant after telling Kevin she doesn’t want to be, and after Kevin argued that she didn’t want to be pregnant because it would mean she couldn’t get people to feel sorry for her anymore. And of course, she’d only find out after she and Kevin broke up.